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03.06.13 | BOSTON -- Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dan Winslow carries a box of signatures to the secretary of state's office, to qualify for a spot on the primary ballot for the special election to fill the seat formerly held by John Kerry.

In the first Republican ad in the Senate race to replace John Kerry, state Rep. Daniel Winslow touts his Western Massachusetts roots as he presents his plan to reduce the corporate tax rate.

Winslow, a Northampton native who was raised in Amherst, is releasing the ad through conservative talk radio shows airing in the Pioneer Valley on Wednesday and Thursday. The local ads coincide with others he is running across the state.

"Western Massachusetts is where I grew up. My dad was an antenna repair man and my mom was a first-generation Italian American who was a nurse at a local hospital. Together, they raised the four boys in our family," he says in the ad. "There are special values here that we all learned growing up and that we all share to this day- hard work, respect for others and reaching out to our neighbors when they need a helping hand."

In the minute-long ad, Winslow draws attention to his tax proposal, which aims to reduce business tax rates while eliminating corporate tax breaks.

"My plan is to cut the 35 percent corporate tax rate, one of the highest in the world, to 26 percent, making American businesses much more competitive so that they can grow and create new jobs," Winslow says in the ad. "Especially small businesses, which are the real engines of job growth in our economy."

Winslow's ads will be running for two consecutive days ahead of the Republican debate in Springfield Thursday evening.

He is facing competition from Cohasset businessman Gabriel Gomez and former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan. The trio will square off at CityStage in downtown Springfield Thursday from 7-8 p.m.

The debate, presented by the Western Massachusetts Media Consortium, will be broadcast on several local TV stations and streamed live on MassLive.com.

Democratic candidates and congressmen Stephen Lynch and Edward Markey will have their Western Massachusetts debate on April 18.